A Night to Remember
by leiasky
Summary: Mischief abounds on the evening of Arwen and Aragorn’s wedding. The couple receive special gifts from the fellowship.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Night to Remember  
  
Author: Leiasky  
  
Synopsis: Mischief abounds on the evening of Arwen and Aragorn's wedding. The couple receive special gifts from the fellowship.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Spoilers: Yes Return of the King  
  
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen  
  
Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. I don't own these characters. (darn!) I make no money. Done for fun.  
  
Additional Info: I've strived to portray the characters herein as I see them. This story was written with the characters from the movie and their expressions and voices in mind.  
  
With luck, my Quenya translations are accurate, if not, we'll, I did my best with the limited knowledge that I have. If you notice any mistakes, e- mail me and I'll correct them.  
  
Archive: If you like, just tell me where.  
  
Many thanks to Kayla for the beta!  
  
1 A Night to Remember  
  
  
  
The loud crackle and spark of fireworks exploded in the evening sky and a great roar rippled across the gathered crowd. Laughter followed by ohh's and ahh's came from every corner of the castle and courtyard as people of all shapes and sizes gathered together to celebrate a most momentous occasion. Peace had at last returned to Middle-Earth as Elves, Dwarves and men celebrated together for the first time in their history. The Ring had been cast back into the fires of Mordor and Sauron had been destroyed. Their King had returned.  
  
Banners hung from the white towers and flapped loudly in the breeze. The city and courtyard had been decorated in the royal colors of Gondor with the ethereal colors of the house of Elrond draped across the terrace on which the new king and queen stood.  
  
Aragron slipped his arm around Arwen's waist, his gentle touch a pillar of strength, dedication and love. The terrace upon which they stood was made specifically for this occasion and would be dismantled in the morning. For now, they simply stood and watched Gandalf sail spectacular fireworks into the air.  
  
As Arwen gazed sidelong at her new husband's face, she noted the bright, wide eyes of the newly crowned King staring into the night sky, a wide smile playing across his lips as the children below cheered and trembled with each resounding boom.  
  
Arwen rested her hands on the balustrade and leaned gently against her husband's side, taking warmth and comfort from his mere presence. His grip tightened around her waist, and his hand flattened against her abdomen in a gesture of affection, but his gaze remained transfixed on the sky, occasionally glancing at crowd below.  
  
To any onlooker, their new king and queen were simply enjoying the festivities, and the dancing and the revelry that surrounded such a momentous occasion. Elven Lords and Ladies had traveled far from their homes to witness Aragorn's crowning and his marriage to the elven princess. And it was those same elven Lords who could sense the excited tension that filled his shoulders now.  
  
"Marriage to an elven woman is not a task one undertakes lightly," Aragorn remembered Gandalf's words as they waited at the front of the great hall for Arwen and her father to appear.  
  
"Marriage to any woman, be she elf, dwarf or Halfling, is not to be taken lightly," Aragorn whispered moments before the grand doors opened and his wedding began….  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Pip, we are NOT stealing those again," Merry whispered urgently when he noticed the mischievous gleam in the Touk's eyes.  
  
"Why? No harm was done last time!" Pippin bounced to the music and cheered with the crowd, ever so slowly creeping closer to the wagon of unlit fireworks.  
  
"Gandalf would skin us alive!" Merry whispered."Besides, we can't make trouble on Strid- Aragorn's wedding day!" He, along with the rest of the Hobbit's would have to work on remembering the correct name.  
  
"It's Elessar now." Sam leaned toward the two, grinning as another blast lit up the sky. "and you'd do well to remember it."  
  
"Hi Sam," Pippin nearly came out of his skin,"What are you-you doing down here. Where's Frodo?"  
  
"He's up with the King," Sam nodded in the direction of Aragorn and Arwen, squinting to see the smaller figure of his charge standing several feet away from the couple. "I knew you two would be up to no good."  
  
Pippin frowned. "We know how to do it right this time."  
  
"No." Sam crossed his arms.  
  
An arrow whizzed across the sky, lighting the night with a green trail as it sailed into the air. With a resounding BOOM and crackle, the tip exploded into rays of silver light, twinkling like stars in the sky….falling toward the ground like fairy dust. Another followed and then another, the very sound of the arrows flying into the night quieting the crowd.  
  
Legolas grinned down at Aragorn from his perch on the highest tower wall. Saluting the king and queen with his elven bow, he drew two arrows from his quiver faster than the eye could see, and fired them over the new King high into the sky.  
  
Aragorn nodded to his elven friend and saluted him, touching his hand to his forehead and to his lips, then raising it in honor of the elven prince of Mirkwood.  
  
As Elrond stepped beside Aragorn and raised his arms, the crowd quieted, allowing the Elven Lord to speak. They knew he was the father of the new queen, and afforded him the respect of that position. "It warms my heart to see the races of middle earth together, celebrating the defeat of a mutual enemy. It is my hope, with the crowning of a new king," Elrond smiled warmly at his adopted son and rested a hand on his shoulder, "that you will all continue to live in peace."  
  
Aragorn nodded to Elrond and then to the crowd, "I will see it done."  
  
"Nyë vanda."{This I promise} He added in the noble elven tongue.  
  
  
  
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They walked slowly down the long hallway, hand in hand, talking in quiet whispers. The celebration continued within and outside the city walls but the king and his new queen had finally found the opportunity to take their leave.  
  
Aragorn stopped in front of a large, ornately carved door, grinning as his eyes scanned the thoughtful decoration that covered the entrance. Long vines fell from the ceiling in front of the door, obscuring it from view. There were gifts wound through the vines, and Aragorn nodded to Arwen, who reached for one of the gifts delicately wrapped and covered in elven script. She un-wrapped it slowly, under the watchful and piercing gaze of her husband. A wooden flute slid out of the wrapping and Arwen smiled warmly. Carved into the ent-wood were delicate vines and leaves, depicting scenes of a far away place: A gift from Legolas. A quiet voice whispered to her along the wind, "Play for your children, the songs of the elves. Never forget."  
  
Aragorn reached for the quiver of arrows, untangling the vines which held it above the floor. Scenes similar to those on Arwen's flute were carved into the polished wood and along the shaft of the arrow Aragorn removed from the quiver contained the elven script, "You have my bow." Depicting a time when a fellowship of nine stood around a small hobbit and pledged their allegiance to his quest.  
  
Whispers more faint reached his ears and he concentrated so as to understand them. "The elves of Mirkwood stand ready for your call. Should you need us, fire the arrow into the sky and we will be by your side."  
  
Tied farther down on the door of vines was a small bag, pulled closed with a simple string. Attached to the string was a dark amber-wood pipe, the best a Hobbit could offer. Aragorn chuckled as he lifted the bag from the vine. Scribed on the side of the pipe, in barely readable script was, "The best pipe-weed is Hobbit weed!"  
  
Twined into the vines were also two circlets of gold and silver, shimmering in the candlelight. Arwen reached for the smaller circlet, turning it over in her hands, minding the delicate and intricate craftsmanship that had obviously gone into its creation. Inside, she noticed, was an inscription written in the dwarven tongue. "Queen of Gondor, Elven Princess."  
  
Aragorn turned the larger circlet over in his hands and noting the inscription within, he smiled , "King of Gondor, Elven Prince."  
  
A large silken pouch hung tied to two vines to support its weight, the first letter of each of their names scripted delicately into the material. A note attached to the pouch implored that it be read before the gift opened. Parchment crinkled and stretched as Aragorn began to read, aloud, the words written on the paper. "Sam and I thought to give you a ring to remember us by but thought better of that choice and decided on something else instead." Aragorn carefully folded the parchment and set it aside. With great care, he removed the heavy bag, and set it in Arwen's hands while he unfastened the ties.  
  
Arwen gasped when he pulled the leather-bound book from within the silken bag and Aragorn looked fondly upon the cover. It read, "The unfinished tales of the Fellowship of the Ring," in the common tongue at the bottom, in the elvish script at the top. In the center of the book, painstakingly tooled into the leather, was a 3D image of a golden ring hanging from the winged feathers of the crown of Gondor, depicting the two-fold quest of the fellowship.  
  
Arwen slowly opened the book and on the inside cover, written in the elegant script of Bilbo Baggins was an introduction. Following that, was a page of dedication, where every member of the fellowship had written words to the couple in their own tongue.  
  
They stood reading for several minutes, flipping through the book which chronicled the adventures of the fellowship up until Aragorn's crowning. Included were maps and detailed drawings of every location the Fellowship had traveled, everyone they had met along the way, and those who had died during the long, arduous quest to destroy the ring of power. As they reached the end, the handwriting changed to that of Frodo. It was a simple sentence, written into the middle of a paper bordered with elvish script, but one that humbled the newly married couple. "Our tale is finished. 'Your' tale is just beginning – together." There were many blank pages that followed.  
  
Arwen glanced at her husband as he brushed gentle fingers over the words, lost in thought. "'Our' tale," he whispered as Arwen slid her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. She nodded wordlessly and leaned forward to brush her lips lightly across his own, feeling relieved, as he did, that their time had come. They had waited long enough and they were finally together.  
  
Several moments of silence followed and there were two more gifts to be opened. Aragorn reverently set the book aside and reached for the knife that hung from the very top of the door of vines.  
  
Arwen bent slightly to pick up the pillow from where it rested against the door. As she opened the attached note and began to read, she chuckled, drawing her husband's attention away from the knife, and the inscription engraved deeply within its blade.  
  
"I believe this is for you," Arwen held out the pillow, her face a mask of hidden emotion save the small smile that curled the end of her lips.  
  
"Oh?" Aragorn handed the knife to Arwen and took the note that had been attached to the pillow. As she began to read, the knife in her hand began to glow gold. The markings on the blade changed and became readable. "Should the road be perilous, you have only the need to draw the blade and blinded the enemy will be." Well known was the story of the death of her mother, riding from Rivendell to Lorien. This blade was meant to keep her safe in her travels. An elven blade forged by the last living wizard in middle-earth.  
  
Aragorn chuckled as he read the letter attached to the pillow. "For use when you find yourself kneeling at her feet begging forgiveness." It was signed only with a 'G'.  
  
Aragorn finally opened the door and the couple stepped into the rooms in which they would live out the rest of their days. Incense burned in each corner and candlelight illuminated their way as they set the cherished items on a nearby table. More items had been gathered and piled on another table, but they were ignored as the couple turned to one another.  
  
Arwen's eyes sparkled in the candlelight, lips parted in a wide smile, as Aragorn took her hands in his and fell to his knees.  
  
  
  
End Chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"I was afraid this day would never come," Aragorn stared up at his radiant bride, brushing callused fingers over the fair skin of her hands. "We've waited so long. Nothing shall part us again." He kissed the palm of her hands before looking up into her eyes. Tears gathered there, threatening to fall onto pale cheeks.  
  
"Nothing." Arwen repeated, voice barely above a whisper. A slim hand slid to his face and brushed against the high cheekbone, against the soft stubble of hair that had become a permanent addition to his handsome features. "Verno'nya, meldanya, aranya."{My husband, my love, my king.}  
  
Large hands and strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and he embraced her with a happy sigh. Arwen wove her hands into his hair, pulling gently at the strands as his head came to rest against her abdomen. "Don't kneel before me, husband."  
  
"I am yours, dilnya." {my love} He whispered. "Now and forever."  
  
Words were not necessary as she bent over and pressed her lips to his forehead, eyes sliding shut as they traveled down the high cheekbone, toward his mouth. With a whoosh of air, his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss, which left her trembling. "Tarinya," {my queen} he whispered, his breath hot against her lips. " Nyë vanda ore-nya-ccë ." {I pledge my heart to you.}  
  
Explosions rocked the night sky and flashes of light momentarily flickered against the inside walls as the celebration continued on without them. They could hear the music slow, and the instruments change, as the tender, ethereal voice of the elves began to sing.  
  
Aragorn flattened his hands against her back and stood slowly, his lips never straying from their path. Her arms wrapped slowly around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair and tugging gently, pulling him deeper into their kiss.  
  
He slowly began to move to the sound of the song, his body swaying fluidly. Arwen fell into perfect step, their bodies melting into one another as the music did nothing to curb their growing desire.  
  
His lips fell to hers once again slowly pressing gentle kisses along the corner of her mouth, her cheek, and her eyelids, reverently worshipping every place his lips touched.  
  
Arwen's hands fell to his chest as they kissed, slowly, and without his knowledge, unfastening the ornate buttons that closed his leather jerkin.  
  
Arwen began to hum the well-known tune, her voice low and hypnotic. Her throat, where Aragorn now reverently kissed, vibrated with the tune and through his lips, sending a bolt of desire racing straight through is body. Aragorn leaned his forehead against her neck and closed his eyes, allowing her voice to lull his senses and inflame his blood. Nimble fingers reached only to his waist before the moment was loudly interrupted.  
  
Aragorn's dreamlike state was shattered as an explosion echoed throughout the courtyard, shaking the ground beneath their feet.  
  
Arwen stopped humming, the elves stopped singing and Aragorn's eyes widened, momentarily afraid that someone or something had attacked the city. "Stay here. Stay safe." Aragorn quickly kissed his wife and crossed the distance to where Aurndil rested against the wall. He snatched the sword and attached it quickly to his belt, as he rushed down the hallway and down the long column of marble steps that lead to the courtyard. He didn't notice Arwen disobey his request and follow.  
  
When Aragorn reached the large courtyard, he was greeted to a myriad of scattered people, many ducking beneath something to insure they were not hit with falling debris. The dwarves, in their drunkenness, fell over each other looking for their axes, the men of Gondor and of visiting regions had weapons in hand looking for the cause of the explosion, and the elves stood as far back from the chaos as was possible, refusing to be involved or blamed for this event. Their hands, however, clutched at their bows, ready to raise and take aim at moments notice.  
  
Aragorn rushed to the center of the courtyard, pushing through the large crowd, eyes scanning the area for those he knew. "What happened here?" he called, searching the crowd for Farimir.  
  
"A barrel of mead exploded, m'lord," a nearby Rohan rider explained, "We will find the cause!"  
  
"No need," Gandalf appeared from behind a wall of elves, clutching tightly the ears of Pippin and Merry. "Here are your culprits." The wizard shoved the two soot-covered, mead drenched- hobbits in front of the half-dressed king and crossed his arms. "Explain to him what you've done."  
  
The hobbits' eyes went wide and they looked around for a way to escape the gaze of the disappointed king that greeted them.  
  
Sam and Frodo skidded to a halt at Gandalf's side, eyes wide as they stared at their kinsmen.  
  
"I told you," Sam started, wagging a chubby finger at the two whom had just disgraced them, "not to play with Gandalf's firecrackers."  
  
Aragorn raised a curious eyebrow, crystal eyes glancing quickly at Sam before turning their full attention to the dust and mead covered hobbits.  
  
"You said you knew how to do it this time!" Merry punched Pippin, fist sliding harmlessly off the other hobbits' shoulder due to the amount of mead they had consumed that evening.  
  
"I did!" Pippin's eyes went wide at the audacity of his fellow hobbit, "You were the one who picked the wrong place to stick it into the ground!"  
  
"You said the barrel was empty!" Merry's eyes went wide.  
  
"It's not my fault if you didn't check it!"  
  
"Enough!" Aragorn raised his hands in exasperation, "As long as no one was hurt…" he looked to Gandalf for the affirmation and received a slow nod and a wry grin.  
  
"But it was his idea!" Pippin poked at Merry's shoulder.  
  
"No way, you got all excited when you saw the 'crackers and wanted to set one off right this time!" Merry argued, eyes wide, the gathered crowd all but forgotten as they argued.  
  
" Farea!" {Enough!} Aragorn growled, muttering, "Elen-inga,"{stars on high} under his breath while dragging a hand through his tousled hair. He stared long and hard at the two culprits, deciding quickly that he would rather be in his chambers with his wife rather than standing half dressed in the middle of a courtyard filled with drunken races from all over middle-earth. "No one was injured. Be more careful and don't touch Gandalf's firecrackers. Understand?" Aragorn's annoyance was clear to everyone and he glanced at Elrond and Haldir as they approached.  
  
Elrond noticed Aragorn's state of dress, or rather, undress, and raised a curious eyebrow, struggling to hide a smile that threatened to give away the serious look with which he graced the new king. He'd obviously been interrupted at a most inopportune moment, which was contributing to his annoyance over this relatively harmless situation. Hobbits would be hobbits, playful and clueless.  
  
"Good evening." Aragorn nodded to the elven lords and quickly brushed passed them and ascended the marble steps without looking back.  
  
Haldir looked down his nose at the hobbits, "Smelly, troublemaking creatures," he muttered and turned away, only to come waist to nose with a very drunken Gimli.  
  
"Tose smewy cweatures saved your pompus elven hides!" Mead sloshed in the mug he carried and onto the tall elves' pristine robes. "yew have no wight to spek to tem tat way!" The angry dwarf poked a dirty finger at Haldir.  
  
Haldir stepped backward in disgust, quickly brushing the mead off his clothing before it had the chance to seep into the material. He failed to glance behind him as another dwarf fell to his knees and began to retch, his body unable to hold any more mead. Haldir tripped and fell backward over the dwarf, muttering a string of curses in elvish that would curl the toes of even the most foul-mouthed dwarf.  
  
Elrond rushed quickly to Haldir's aid, reaching beneath the younger elves' arm to hoist him up before the dwarf kneeling on the ground belched up more than just his mead. Haldir quickly gained his feet and scowled at Gimli, "Worthless in-bred barbarian!"  
  
Dwarves who had previously been ignoring the exchange, leapt toward the elf, ready to defend their kinsmen.  
  
"Stop, everyone, please!" Elrond raised his hands toward the hoard of dwarves, "This is not a time for…"  
  
Elrond stopped short as the very pungent contents of a pint were tossed into his face. The elf lord choked back the foul liquid as it stung his eyes and soaked his hair.  
  
Seeing the disrespect afforded one of their most respected lords, the elves who, up until now, were just watching the commotion with a wary eye, joined the fight. Long knives and bows were drawn and aimed faster than the drunken eyes of the dwarves could follow.  
  
"No, stop!" Frodo's voice was but a mere whisper among the cursing crowd.  
  
Gandalf quickly pushed the hobbits out of the way before they were skewered along with the rest of the dwarves.  
  
"This is an old dispute that needs to be resolved once and for all," Gandalf attempted to get their attention but none would listen. "You pleading for an end would be a waste of breath." Gandalf shot a quick look toward the steps Aragorn had nearly raced up, wondering how long it would take him to return. "Aragorn is going to be furious." Gandalf shrugged, muttering a quiet, "and with good reason."  
  
Merry and Pippin nodded, wide-eyed as they watched the commotion from mere feet away and glanced toward the set of marble stairs. They were proud that it would not be because of them if he returned.  
  
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Aragorn, having reached the top of the steps where Arwen waited, sighed heavily and drew her deeply into his arms. "I suppose it's not a party if something isn't blowing up."  
  
A slim hand pushed away a lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes, "The race of men have a unique way of celebrating," Arwen smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. When she leaned away, he immediately countered her incorrect interpretation about his kinsmen.  
  
"Except the cause was not men," He tugged gently at her waist, eyes sparkling in the candlelight.  
  
"Wonders will never cease," She teased.  
  
Aragorn regarded her silently for a long moment, hands fanning across her hips, before continuing, "Rather it was two overzealous and rather drunk, hobbits."  
  
"I see," she drew out the last syllable, dark eyes scanning his face before slim fingers slid along his cheekbones.  
  
When their lips met, the air itself appeared to ignite from the passion of the kiss. He moaned into her mouth, hands sliding around her waist to flatten against her backside, "Now, where were we?" His voice dropped to a mere whisper, "meldanya." {my beloved}  
  
Small hands parted the half-fastened king's tabard, baring his bronzed skin to her dark eyes. Long fingers traced the length of his collarbone, barely brushing against his skin, sending tremors of desire through his thin frame. "We were in our chambers and you were about to….."  
  
His hands wove into her hair and pulled her close, crushing her hands against the bare skin of his chest. He bent to kiss her again when they heard shouting and long strings of curses in both the elvish and dwarven tongue. Aragorn growled and turned to glance out the thin window that overlooked the whole expanse of the courtyard. Reaching out to pull aside the banner that obscured his view, the couple's eyes widened when they saw weapons drawn and noticed the elves in the thick of some rather heated conversations with the dwarves.  
  
Aragorn muttered several curses beneath his breath and untangled his hands from Arwen's hair. "If I have to kill them all to get some peace, I will do it!" he rushed down the steps amidst stifled laughter coming from the vicinity of the top of the steps.  
  
"What is going on!?" Aragorn's voice carried over the arguing crowd, silencing them immediately. His annoyance was apparent in his stance and in the way his hands balled into fists at his sides. His eyes searched the crowd and settled on a sopping wet Elrond who was glaring at a very drunken Gimli.  
  
As Gandalf explained to the annoyed king, the elves lowered their bows and the dwarves set down their axes.  
  
Aragorn tossed unruly hair out of his eyes, cursing them all," Sons of a balrog! Can you not put aside old misunderstandings in favor of our hard- won peace?" He glanced at each dwarf and each elf in turn, his gaze piercing their hardened hearts without a further uttered word. "A Peace gained only by everyone fighting together toward a common goal!"  
  
"Please, this is my wedding night," Aragorn sighed, casting a longing look up to where Arwen stood motionless, gazing out the small window at the top of the steps. "I would like to make it through this night with an intact kingdom."  
  
"It will be done," Elrond stated, offering a respectful nod. His hair was beginning to mat beneath the weight and consistency of the mead that had been used as a deliberate provocation. "An kaima," {to bed} He instructed his kinsmen. "An fuume." {to sleep} and he turned to Aragorn, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Go to bed. Keep her waiting no longer."  
  
Aragorn nodded, grateful for the understanding the elven Lord afforded him, "Hanta-lyë." {Thank you} Aragorn favored them all with a stern look as he made his way back to the marble steps that would lead him, he hoped, to peace and quiet for the rest of the evening.  
  
Reaching the top of the steps, he fell into Arwen's open arms with a heavy sigh, head resting against her neck. "If I hear another word from any of them for the rest of the evening….."  
  
"Shhh," Arwen whispered hotly into his ear, " Let your steward take care of any further problems."  
  
"Certainly, providing he is not involved in any of the disagreements!" Aragorn chuckled despite his annoyance.  
  
"Think of it this way, indonya," Arwen wove her fingers into his hair and tugged, bringing his head up from where it rested against her neck, "this has been a night the city will not soon forget."  
  
He laughed and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. "That it has." They walked hand in hand down the long hallway to their chambers, praying to the west that there would be no further disturbances for what remained of the night.  
  
  
  
End Chapter 2 


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